Succulent Pineapple Chicken

If you thought I agonized over getting a gas grill, you haven’t heard me go on about getting a pressure cooker. On the one hand, I know that using a pressure cooker is a lot more green than having my stove turned on for 3 hours to braise pork shank. Could you imagine, pork shank done in less than 1 hour? Think of all the extra time I'd have to waste!

BUT...I’m scared of freak explosions. Please don’t roll your eyes! It could happen.

HOWEVER...I shoved my fear aside and just did it. Bought a pressure cooker. Yes, I did!

AND...I love it! I’ve made carnitas and a stewed pineapple chicken. The pork took less than 1 hour and the chicken took a little more than half an hour from prep to table. And no freak explosions! Seriously folks, this is the way to go!



This stewed chicken was so delicious. The chicken was fall-off-the-bone tender and the sauce had just the right amount of heat, sweetness and saltiness. Our family really enjoyed this dish and I think yours will too.

Succulent Pineapple Chicken
Feeds 3 or 4 adults

• 6 skinless chicken drumsticks or thighs (also works well with 1.5 lbs pork butt or country ribs)
• ½ cup fresh pineapple, chopped or crushed (canned pineapple in juice is also fine!)
• 1 healthy knob ginger, grated
• 5 to 10 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, finely sliced
• 1 tbs brown sugar
  
• ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce (or 3 tbs regular soy)
  
• 1 ½ cup chicken stock (water is also fine)
• whole jalapeno(s) sliced lengthwise, to taste (optional)
• salt, to taste
  

Rub a little oil on the chicken. Brown it well on a very hot pan. Once the chicken is browned, transfer it to the pressure cooker. Add the other ingredients. Give it a quick stir, lock the lid and following your manufacturer’s instructions for cooking. For my cooker, I ended up cooking for 13 minutes (after pressure built up) and let the pressure release itself, about 10 minutes. If you use pork chunks, the cooking time will increase. Follow your manufacturer’s guidelines.

You can achieve the same results by braising on your stovetop or in your oven (325 to 350F), but it will probably take over an hour.

To serve, I removed the meat from the bone into a deep serving dish. I concentrated the sauce a bit by simply reducing it over high heat, then poured it over the chicken.

Perfect served with steamed rice (and extra sambal oelek on the side!).

Thai-Style Sweet and Sour Pork

Who said Thai food is spicy?

Okay, a lot of it is, but there are plenty of dishes for those who can’t tolerate the heat. One thing that comes to mind is Thai-style sweet and sour. What? You’ve never heard of it? That’s probably because it’s not commonly found on the menu at most Thai restaurants, but it should be!

You’re probably wondering if it’s similar to the Chinese sweet and sour pork that we are used to here in the States. No, it’s not. Unlike the Chinese version, Thai sweet and sour is a stir-fry with pineapple, onion, tomato and cucumber (and any other embellishments you fancy). The sourness comes from pineapple juice with a little vinegar thrown in. There’s no cornstarch in the sauce; it’s thickened by being wok-caramelized. Oh, and it contains a healthy dose of fish sauce.



The version I use is a little different from traditional sweet and sour pork. Instead of the vinegar, I use plum sauce for tartness (an idea I ran across flipping through a Thai cookbook). I also don’t like stir-fried cucumbers, so I replace those with celery, which tastes wonderful when stir-fried.

Thai-style Sweet and Sour Pork
Serves 3 adults

• 12oz pork sirloin or tenderloin, sliced for stir-fry
• ¼ cup unsweetened pineapple juice
• 1 tbs plum sauce
• 1 tbs sugar
• 1 tbs fish sauce, more to taste
• 1 tbs minced garlic
• ½ large onion, cut into wedges
• 3 stalks celery, thick- sliced on the diagonal
• 1 large tomato, cut into 8 wedges
• ½ to 2/3 cup 1-inch pineapple pieces (fresh is best but canned is fine)

To make the sauce, combine the pineapple juice, plum sauce, sugar and fish sauce in a small bowl. Mix to dissolve the sugar. Set aside until needed.

In a hot wok over medium-high heat, add about 2 tbs oil. Quickly stir-fry the pork with the garlic until almost done. Remove and keep warm.

Crank up the heat to high and add a little more oil if necessary. Stir-fry the onions and celery for a couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes and pineapple. Stir-fry for an additional minute or two. The celery should be crisp, but not raw. Add the pork back in. Drizzle the sauce down the sides of the wok and mix well. It's done when the pork is cooked through. Serve with steamed rice. I also like a large dollop of Vietnamese chili-garlic sauce or sambal oelek.